The Vaccines play benefit for Southampton’s The Joiners

The Vaccines headlined The Joiners in Southampton last night (January 22), playing a one-off, not-for-profit show in order to raise money and awareness of the venue.

The 150-capacity space was full to bursting, with some fans claiming to have sneaked in through the fire escape. Playing an hour-long set to the swelteringly hot room, the band ran through a selection of tracks from their 2011 debut and last year’s ‘The Vaccines Come Of Age’, including ‘Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’, ‘Teenage Icon’ and ‘If You Wanna’.

Singer Justin Young addressed the crowd towards the end of the set regarding the reason for the event, remarking that “Without places like this, bands like The Vaccines wouldn’t exist. Which, contrary to some people’s opinions, is a bad thing”. The quartet then launched into second album favourite ‘Bad Mood’, before rounding off the set with ‘Norgaard’.

The Joiners – which has historically played host to the likes of Oasis, Kings of Leon, Manic Street Preachers and The Libertines – is currently facing an uncertain future after a dramatic recent drop in ticket sales. Before Christmas, Frank Turner also played a not-for-profit gig at the venue to help boost its revenue.

Speaking after the gig, Young – who, alongside drummer Pete Robertson, hails from Southampton – discussed his opinions on the establishment and its importance, stating that, “This is the main venue around here. It’s got so much heritage and so many bands have come through here. If it wasn’t for a venue like this, where it’s 10 minutes down the road from your house, then I wouldn’t have been able to come out and play shows and stand on stage and play songs for the first time. There are venues like The Joiners in every town and every year there’ll be someone who’s played here that’s gone on to bigger things. They’re a part of every musical landscape all over the world.”

The singer also revealed a particularly memorable incident, playing the venue years ago with his college band. “I saw so many and played so many shows here,” he enthused. “My college band played and my drummer got barred 10 minutes before we were going on for letting people in through the roof. We had to go on without a drummer. It’s nice to come back and headline; it feels like a homecoming.”